Why Move Slowly?

Recently I have been reflecting on my yoga practice and how it has changed over the years. My first experience with yoga, like many Americans, was vinyasa yoga. Vinyasa yoga is an adaptation of Pattabhi Jois' Ashtanga Yoga. It is repetitive, challenging and swift by design. I won't go into the history of yoga right now, but I should mention that the modern yoga most American's practice is nothing like it's ancient form. Yogis in the 2nd century BCE for example were not moving through a series of sun salutations or contorting their bodies in pretzel-y positions. They were mostly seated in a position that would allow them to meditate for extended periods of time.

In my 20s I thrived in these fast paced classes. I loved how they shifted my focus and tired me out. My favorite classes were heated vinyasa or Bikram style where I discovered that you can actually sweat from every part of your body, even your shins! Night classes were great because it usually ensured a good night sleep and weekend day classes were always followed by a long nap!

My 30s were a decade of expansion for me, expanding my family and my waistline (ha ha). Soon after I married, my husband and I built a home. Within 5 years we filled this home with 2 dogs, three children and my then 83 year old grandmother who lived in our in-law suite. Space (both physical and emotional) became something that was both precious and elusive for me. So I delved back into my practice where I found all the space that needed on a 2'x6' rectangle, my yoga mat! Still enjoying vinyasa yoga but now being drawn to teachers that moved mindfully and at a slower pace.

I had a transformative experience in 2012 when my mother-in-law introduced me to her favorite yoga teacher, Barbara Benagh. There was something so different about her style of teaching, her classes are slow, conversational and thought provoking. She guides her students with her words rather than visual demonstrations or hands-on adjustments.

In my very first class with her I thought that she was talking us through a demonstration of a specific pose. It wasn't until moments later that I realized that she wasn't previewing the pose , rather she had somehow coaxed us all slowly into the pose and what's more I was deeper in this pose than I had ever been before. Now when I use the word deeper, I am not just referring to this in a physical sense, there was an awareness present in my practice. For the first time in my 10+ years of yoga practice I was having a conversation with my own body. This is where I fell in love with moving slowly.

So when people as me why I prefer to move slowly, the answer is simple. I move slowly to get a better view. Maybe this will help explain. Imagine on your way to work you drive down your street and pass by a sweet little brook. You notice its loveliness, but it isn't until your early morning walk the following day when you can actually experience all of its intricate beauty. While walking by slowly you have time to stop and see the unique pattern of spotted rocks that line the bottom of the stream. You can notice the flow and pace of the water as it quickens and slows according to the landscape of rocks and branches that cradle the water. The wild flowers and green plants that line the edges of the stream provide a vibrant home to countless insects and critters living there. You even notice the camouflaged frog that blends into the moss covered rock that it is perched on. All of these amazing details were missed on your drive, but by moving slowly these details are seen with clarity.

To me yoga is the same. The experience of yoga is beautiful because of the details we uncover. The inquiry into our own body and mind is amazing. We just need to slow down and let the conversation unfold. A well crafted slow flow yoga class can leave you feeling softer, spacious, energized and more efficient, not depleted and feeling like you need a nap.

Why move slowly you ask? To get a better view.